What the Heart Chooses to Remember
by WolfKeeper989
Summary: AU The mind has the last say in what is forgotten but the heart has the last say in what is remembered.Is this true for Sasuke who has lost his memory?He is trapped in a world where his past life has been erased.Can Sakura save him and the world from evil? R & R please!
1. Chapter 1

Hello again! I have wanted to do a fic concerning Spirited Away and this fic is great way to do that! So anyway, let's get started! This starts a little after Shippuden starts but before Sai shows up. This is also my first Naruto fic, I have read plenty of them but I have never written one, although I have many more ideas for fics. Look, due to the crossover and the automatic AU that has been created from this cross, some characters maybe more out of character than others although I will try to remain as within character as I can. So please no complaining! Now, on with the first part of my _Heart and Mind Series_.

Disclaimer: Wolfkeeper989 does not own Naruto nor does she own Spirited Away; they belong to the great minds that created them. But the story idea is so mine!

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**What the Heart Chooses to Remember**

**Chapter 1**

Sakura was jumping from tree to tree at the fastest speed she could muster with Naruto following close behind. She knew that Tsunade was going kill her for this but she had to know what happened. Earlier today, she had received a letter from a Konoha "spy" keeping tabs on the Sound. According to the letter, Sasuke was reported missing after he disappeared on a mission for Orochimaru. She had mentioned the letter to Tsunade but she said that they would not do anything about it now because they were not sure if it was a trap or not. But Sakura did not care. She had to know what happened, if anything happened, to Sasuke. So, she waited until nightfall and left a note for Tsunade and woke up Naruto. This is what led them to their current predicament. They began to grow nervous as they neared the specified meeting place that was mentioned in the letter.

"Slow up, Naruto…" Sakura instructed as they got closer to the bar they were supposed to enter at 11pm. Sakura checked her watch and saw that it was ten minutes to eleven. She gestured for Naruto to join her on the ground in some bushes to wait until the appointed time to enter the bar. After waiting about five minutes, the two nins noticed that most of the customers were starting to leave. This puzzled Sakura a great deal until she realized that the bar must close at 11. She waited for five more minutes before she made her way to the bar. Naruto and she had already agreed that she would enter the bar since she was the one that received the letter and Naruto would hang back to scout the area and look for signs of ambush. Sakura slowly ventured up to the door and saw that the bar was actually empty; the only person there was the bartender cleaning off the bar. Had she missed the informant? Just as she was about to turn around and leave, a voice called out to her,

"Would you like something to drink, Miss?" She whirled around and saw that the bartender was speaking to her. She was not sure what to do now. Should she say yes and give the informant time to show or be courteous and say no? After a moment of thought, she nodded and asked for a drink of water. The bartender nodded and fetched a glass from under the counter and began to fill it with water. Sakura walked towards the bar and sat down just as the bartender finished filling her glass. He turned around and sat the glass before her. She thanked him before drinking the water down in one go. "So, am I safe to assume that you are Miss Haruno?" he asked as she sat the glass back on the counter. She hesitantly nodded.

"Are you the one that sent that letter?" she asked.

"Hai. I sent the letter. I am just a simple bartender but because of where my bar is located, I get a lot of weird customers. One customer, in particular, came in a few months ago looking for information." explained the man. The man had no shiftiness about his person and he was well kept. His work clothes were a white button down shirt and a pair of black dress pants. His hair was neat and his eyes were honest. Sakura did not notice any difference in his heart rate or chakra level so she was convinced that he wasn't lying.

"What kind of information?" asked Sakura. The dark haired man paused a moment before his eyes widened as he remembered.

"He asked about a gold seal that was rumored to have extraordinary powers. I told him that I had no idea whether such a thing existed. He later left and I haven't seen him since." He said. Sakura looked puzzled. "What would Sasuke or rather Orochimaru want with a gold seal?" she wondered to herself.

"How did you know that this person was actually Sasuke Uchiha?" asked Sakura as she continued to ponder over this rapidly growing mystery. The man took her glass and refilled it and answered as he did so.

"About two weeks after this incident happened another ninja came in asking about a seal and a missing ninja with black eyes. He said that the missing ninja's name was Sasuke Uchiha and that he had not checked in for two weeks. So, I put two and two together." said the man. Sakura had begun to fidget in her seat due to excitement.

"Did this other man speak of what the seal was to be used for?" asked Sakura.

"Ummm… something about completing research… I think?" answered the man tentatively. "Research? Orochimaru was known for his illegal and dangerous jutsu research! That's what he needs it for, to complete a new jutsu!" Sakura thought excitedly.

"Is there anything else that you can tell me?" she asked as she sipped on her water.

"Ano… Hai! About a week after the second ninja had come into the bar, my cousin Akio calls me because it is my birthday. While I was conversing with him I made mention of the seal to him. This caused him to comment on a story his daughter had told him after he had stopped at an abandoned theme park on his way to his new house in Tochinoki, Japan about four years ago. This place is on the other side of the Hidden Villages. She made mention that she dreamed that she had accidentally found a way into the spirit world and had gotten caught in a bathhouse for spirits. But to make a long story short, the greedy witch that owned the bathhouse was after a golden seal that belonged to her twin sister! I just thought it was crazy that we had both heard something about a gold seal… But I am starting to wonder if it is just a coincidence… or something else?" said the man. Sakura was now on her feet, far too excited to stay seated any longer.

"What is this cousin's name again?" she asked.

"His name is Akio Ogino. I could write down his address, if you like." He said. She quickly nods. He retrieves a piece of paper and a pen and starts to write. Sakura waits patiently as he does so. But there was still one thing on her mind…

"Excuse me, sir, but how did you know to send the letter to me?" asked Sakura.

"The other ninja mentioned that the Uchiha may have been apprehended by a blonde shinobi and a pink-haired kunoichi. He asked me if I had ever seen them around here and I replied that I had not." He said. "Then as I listened to local gossip I learned about you and Uzumaki and what happened with the Uchiha. I knew no one would readily trust what I had to say, so I found the one person that I thought would most sympathize with me and believe me." He admitted. By then he had finished writing and handed her the paper. She thanked him quietly and exited the bar within a twister of Sakura petals. She reappeared beside Naruto causing him to start comically and nearly scream aloud. Sakura giggled softly before heading back into the trees with Naruto trailing behind her.

"Oi! Sakura-chan! What did he say?!" asked Naruto hurriedly. She turned to him and said,

"Sasuke-kun was seen there! The bartender said that he was looking for information on a golden seal. This seal is believed to belong to a witch in the spirit world! That might be where Sasuke disappeared. The bartender gave me the address of his cousin, whose daughter knows something about this seal. We need to get this information to Tsunade-sama." said Sakura. Naruto grinned and nodded. The two Konoha ninjas made their way back to their village without another word spoken between the two of them. As they neared the village, Sakura stiffened and Naruto quickly noticed the change.

"Sakura-chan… what's wrong?" he asked. She looked at him and said,

"Tsunade-sama is waiting for us at the gate…" Naruto visibly paled. Sakura felt the pit of her stomach turn to ice. Her sensei was not going to be pleased with her, not one bit. She had initially felt her sensei's chakra as they neared the village which made her tense in the first place. The two ninjas now knew that they were busted so they picked up their pace so that they would not make the Fifth Hokage angrier by making her wait. After about ten minutes, Naruto and she landed a few feet from the gates of Konoha. They could make out Tsunade's silhouette a few feet away from them. Sakura and Naruto slowly made their way forward, both of them truly worried about how Tsunade would handle their blatant disobedience. Finally, agonizing moments later, Sakura and Naruto stood before the Fifth Hokage with their heads bowed.

"Well, I hope this incident of rather obvious disobedience was fruitful because if the information is any good, Shinzune has convinced me not to punish you…" said Tsunade evenly although her countenance was one of pure anger. Sakura knew a bargain when she heard it. She stepped forward and bowed low to her teacher before she spoke.

"It was, sensei. Apparently, Orochimaru is working on a jutsu that requires a great deal of power. In order to complete his research he seems to be in need of a golden seal that is rumored to be within the realm of the spirits, it is said to be very powerful. He sent Sasuke after it but he disappeared two weeks after being sent after it. Another ninja was sent to track him down but still could not locate him. It has been months since Sasuke has been seen or heard from. I believe, if there really is a spirit world apart from this one that he may have found it but may have become trapped there. The Sound also seems to think that we have him…" said Sakura. Tsunade's face had changed numerous times from everything in between anger and absolute disbelief. After a long moment, Tsunade tuned and headed back into the village and gestured for them to follow. The two were definitely puzzled by her reactions but did follow her back into the village. When they caught up to her, she was talking with an ANBU captain about posting extra security for a while. After receiving his instructions, the captain disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura moved next to her teacher, clearly worried. "Sensei?"

"Sakura, I am not very happy with your disobedience and I am disappointed that you got Naruto involved, but if it had not been for you… we would have not been prepared for a very nasty surprise from the Sound. This jutsu… if it requires power that may or may not get spirits involved, this could spell disaster for the village. Not to mention that this is first real lead the village has had on Orochimaru's plans and Sasuke's whereabouts. Did you get information on someone that could put us on the path to finding this "spirit world" or this "gold seal"?" asked Tsunade. Sakura nodded.

"Apparently, the daughter of the informant's cousin, had a brush with this so-called spirit world and knows a great deal about the seal but she lives in Tochinoki, Japan." said Sakura. Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she spoke,

"Well, Japan is on the other side of the Hidden Villages. The people there left behind the traditional ways and became citizens of what is known now as Japan. The village says that I can only send one ninja there, once every ten years, and it has to be a dire emergency. These villages have to remain hidden from the others on the other side, you understand. So I am going to send one of you to find this daughter and get her to help you find Sasuke and this seal." said Tsunade.

"But sensei, I thought that you could only send someone if it was a dire emergency." said Sakura.

"This is an emergency! There is talk of a powerful artifact that if in the wrong hands it could create something that could threaten our village's safety. And one of our own, although misguided, is or could be in serious danger! If a fight ensues over this seal we could involve a world full of powerful spirits and a world full of power hungry ninja that could cause a war of catastrophic proportions. Need I continue, Sakura?" asked Tsunade smugly. Sakura shook her head mutely. After a few moments, another voice broke the tense silence.

"So, Tsunade baa-chan, who are you going to send?" asked an eerily quiet Naruto. Sakura looked over at him, she had almost forgotten that he was there because he had been so quiet until now. Tsunade thought once more. Sakura and Naruto watched quietly as many emotions passed over the Hokage's face before she sighed and said,

"Sakura. Pack your bags, because you are going to Japan." Sakura's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"What? B-But Tsunade-sama! Why--" started Sakura before she was cut off by Tsunade herself.

"Why? No offense Naruto, but you would not be the right person to send for this job. You are excellent shinobi but you are shot-tempered and impatient. You are also not very familiar with diplomacy. This "spirit world" will definitely have laws and customs different from our own. So, I need someone that I know will be able to humble themselves to these laws in order to get the information they need. Plus this kind of mission, unfortunately, could take years! That means that also I need someone that is patient and thorough in their investigation. Also I do not want any more people knowing about this potential catastrophe than necessary, which is why I decided not to send anyone outside the three of us." said Tsunade. Sakura had expected Naruto to explode but strangely he just looked at Tsunade and smiled.

"I understand, baa-chan. I think Sakura-chan would be prefect for this mission! After all, I got to go my own journey and now it is Sakura-chan's turn to shine! Believe it!" he said before he turned to Sakura and gave her two thumbs up. Sakura blushed and smiled thankfully at Naruto. She moved forward and gave Naruto a thankful kiss on his cheek that left him speechless and blushing. She then turned to Tsunade and bowed once more.

"When do you want me ready, sensei?" she asked. Tsunade smiled with pride at her pupil.

"In two days," She said firmly. Sakura nodded. "You are dismissed Sakura. But Naruto, hang on a moment, since I have you here already, I have a mission for you." Naruto nodded and turned to Sakura,

"See ya, Sakura-chan!" he said happily.

"Sayonara, Naruto-kun." She said back before she started walking back towards her apartment. As soon as Sakura had disappeared from sight, Naruto turned to face Tsunade.

"Well done, Naruto. She really does need this mission… she needs to learn that she is a much better ninja than she gives herself credit for. She has done a lot of growing and still needs to do more. This is the perfect catalyst for her but it is a rather trying one. Thank you for looking after her tonight. I knew she could not resist following up on that letter that she had received. So, I called you up to have you do a secret mission to help Sakura gather more information surrounding that letter." said Tsunade. Naruto smiled and then asked,

"But why did you keep it a secret?" Tsunade sighed.

"Because I think that there is also a spy for the Sound within the walls of Konoha as well…" she said quietly. Naruto made a soft sound of surprise…

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**Okay that is it! What do you think? No flames plz! ****Plz review!**** And you will find out what happened to Sasuke, next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hi! There are many hits for the story but not many reviews. Just a line or you guys, it is just to let me know what you guys think. I have three chapters written for this story, so when I get feedback, all I have to do is post. Also in the first of the chapter I am going to do a flashback before Sakura leaves: it will concern Sasuke. Little warning… from now until about the end of this story, Sasuke maybe a little OOC… **Also, thank you Herm-Own-Ninny879 and ****mdizzle**** for your responses. This chapter is for you**** guys!!**

Disclaimer: Wolfkeeper989 does not own Naruto nor does she own Spirited Away; they belong to the great minds that created them. But the story idea is so mine!

**Chapter 2**

**_Flashback to a few months before…_**

Sasuke had been walking for a very long time. He was completely and utterly lost in a forest somewhere between the Hidden Mist Village and the Hidden Sand Village, or at least that is where he thought it was. He was still without any leads on the whereabouts on this stupid seal and he was also exhausted. He had not been sleeping well as of late. Probably his own stupid fault… He still could not completely break his ties with Konoha although he had tried numerous times but still could not complete the task that he had his mind set on doing. It was as if something inside of him just would not let go of Konoha. Every time he thought that he had finally severed those ties, he would see something like a Sakura petal, a ramen stand, or even one of those annoying orange books and all those infernal memories would come flying back at full force. At one point, Sasuke had found himself…ugh, dare he even say it? He had found himself chuckling at a distant memory of Naruto hanging upside from a tree by his ankles during one of Kakashi's training sessions.

Even at that moment he forced back a laugh that had threatened to escape his throat. He sighed explosively in frustration. He needed something, anything to take his focus off of his troubled and exhausted mind. All of sudden his stomach decided to voice its opinion in a series of growls. He looked up and realized that he was in a small village. He looked around dazed. Where had this come from… had he been so distracted that he had walked into a genjutsu? He did not see anyone and the buildings looked ancient and vacant. As he looked around for anyone that might be able to tell him where he was, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled around and saw a shock of pink hair disappear around the corner of a building. He relaxed and began to smirk. Sakura… she was always good with genjutsu but that pink hair of hers always made her stand out like a sore thumb. He slowly made his way to the side of the building he thought he had seen her disappear around.

"Sakura?" he called. All he got in response was a giggle. He continued around the corner and saw no one. He frowned. He activated his Sharingan and was shocked when the genjutsu did not break. "What kind of genjutsu is this?" he wondered to himself. He heard another giggle coming from his right and he turned around again to see Sakura standing there staring at him. She was smiling giddily at him.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun." She said. He slowly unsheathed his katana and got in a fighting stance. Something was not right. The Sakura before him was still 12 and innocent. She was still wearing the same red and white dress that she had always wore. Her hair was down past her shoulders. This was the same Sakura that haunted his memories, the innocent Sakura, the one that existed before Orochimaru had showed up and Sasuke had left her devastated on a bench. This small, almost seemingly fragile girl embodied the most of all the things that he wanted to forget. He growled at whoever thought that they could get away with toying with Sasuke's mental and emotional distress. He brought his sword up, in order show this imposter a lesson but as soon as he did, the girl turned and ran away giggling like mad. Sasuke was so infuriated at the moment that he rushed forward without a second thought and gave chase. He followed her out of the village and into a nearby forest. He sheathed his katana without stopping and sped up. She was moving incredibly fast for a human. What was going on? He dodged tree after tree as he gave chase. He was employing all of his speed and the girl was still a good ways from him. He was moving so fast now that everything around him was nothing but a colored blur. He was not concentrating on where he was going, just keeping that girl in his sights. But he was completely aware of where he was going when he ran out of ground to run on and plummeted off of a small cliff and into a lake.

He instantly inhaled a gulp of water and had to keep from panicking. He finally managed to calm himself enough to swim back to the top and he inhaled a gulp of fresh air as soon as his head broke the surface. He looked around wildly for the Sakura look alike that had probably tricked him into falling into the lake but could not find her. But he did see a blue scaled humanoid like creature that had a fish's tail where, he assumed that it was a female, her legs should be. She gazed at him intently before she started to laugh.

"Tricked you, tricked you!" she shrieked. Sasuke growled and proceeded to swim towards the creature but then all of a sudden, he was pulled under again. He resisted the urge to scream as he ended up staring into the eyes of a huge snake that now had its body coiled around him. His lungs burned for air. All of a sudden, he thought he heard the creature speak to him in his mind.

"You filthy human! You have defiled my lake with your stench!" it seemed to hiss in his mind. The voice sounded slightly feminine. "Well it was not my fault! That stupid thing on the shore tricked me!" he howled in his mind. He was struggling desperately for air, now. The snake seemed to speak again. "You mean that kappa on the shore! Ignorance is still no excuse! You must pay for your transgression!" Sasuke's eyes had widened in surprise. The snake had heard his thoughts. "But you shall not die human… that is not an adequate punishment for this kind of defilement!" All of sudden Sasuke felt himself being dragged to the surface once again. He thankfully swallowed a huge amount of air as soon as he hit the surface. He was still trapped in the snake's embrace but at least now he knew he would not die. But his condition was still far from great. He could now see that the snake was a deep gold color. It was eerily beautiful in its on way, the sun danced off of its scales with a deep yellow glow. It made the serpent seemed to glow with an unearthly light. "Defile the lake of Azami the lake spirit, will you! I will make you rue this day!"

"Hurt me if you must, because you said you would not kill me, so what do I have to fear?" Sasuke said determined to appear unfazed, after all he had a reputation to uphold. She seemed to hiss with indignation.

"Foolish human! Do you not know that you are dealing with a lake goddess! I can find out anything about you I want and do anything to you I want! Ha! You are in my domain, human! You best remember that!" sneered Azami. Sasuke blinked in disbelief. Was he in a dream or what?

"So, have I wandered into another world or something? Because where I am from snakes do not talk." said Sasuke rudely. The snake hissed in outrage.

"Impudent ape! I will show you to respect a spirit! And yes, you did wander into the Realm of the Spirits!" she hissed. Inwardly Sasuke was recoiling from the snake as she lowered her head to inspect him. But on the outside, he looked as unnerved as ever. He felt her sniff him and then he heard her chuckle. "As punishment, you will have to suffer with the one thing you hate to deal with most, your emotions..." She hissed. "They will be intensified the more you try to hide them. You will also have to answer honestly to every question and you cannot avoid the question. This was going to be your punishment but due to your disrespect; you will live on forever with this curse, instead of dying and being relieved of it! Yes, this will be your punishment…" Sasuke still looked unimpressed. Azami became curious as to why this mortal was not begging for mercy because she knew that he hated his emotions he deemed them as weak. She could hear every single thought that crossed his mind at that point in time and every single one he had ever had before hand. She listened to the human's rambling thoughts and laughed. She looked down and saw three black commas on one of its shoulders. "So, this was the curse mark that this human was so sure could protect him against my curse! Ha! The foul magic that surrounded the mark was child's play to someone like her. She waited a few moments and then she struck out at the human. She bit him right where the curse mark lay. She would have grinned if she could have, when she heard the human scream in pain.

Sasuke had initially cried out from the pain of being bitten by the overgrown serpent but he was now howling due to a burning sensation in his shoulder. If he could have looked at his shoulder, he would have seen the curse mark start to evaporate. Small, thin wisps of black smoke billowed up from the mark and the commas started to shrink until they lost their shape and disappeared. Then he felt another presence force its way into his body and a burning sensation race through his body. He withstood the pain as long as he could but then blacked out after a few more moments.

Azami withdrew her fangs from the boy's flesh and smiled when she saw the glowing snake mark on the boy as she lifted her head up. It started at the shoulder that she bit him on. The scar had taken the shape of a large snake. The head of the snake covered his shoulder. The front of the snake's head was visible on the front side of the shoulder and the same went for the back of the snake's mouth on the back of the kid's shoulder. It looked as if the snake was biting him. The snake's body then wrapped around the boy's shoulders at diagonal angle and wound itself around his body all the way down to his feet. The gold light slowly dimmed until it completely disappeared. Now there was a deep fleshy red scar on the boy's body. This would alert any spirit that the boy was cursed. She grinned cruelly at her handiwork before she tossed her latest victim back onto the bank and disappeared beneath the surface of the water, and the kappa dragged herself back into the stream that she came from with a giggle…

**Present time…**

Sakura had returned to her apartment and went straight to bed. The morning sun had just appeared over the mountains and the weather was starting to reflect the fair weather that was in store for that day. At this point in time, Sakura was just reawaking from her slumber and could already feel the beginnings of nervousness. Was she strong enough to complete this mission? After all, Naruto was not strong enough to bring Sasuke back. What better chance did she have? "No! I have to at least try! After all, Naruto-kun and Tsunade-sama believe in me! I mean, Sasuke-kun could be in danger and I may not even have to confront him! Ha! Only in my dreams…" she thought. With that final thought, Sakura got up and proceeded to make her bed. Then she hopped in the shower, before getting dressed. She slowly started to make a mental list of what all she needed to do today in preparation for her mission in a few days. Finally, after eating and debating with herself, Sakura left her apartment and headed over to Tsunade's office to start preparing for her mission. She entered her sensei's office to find her sensei quite sober and apparently waiting for her.

"Sensei?" she called as she approached her desk.

"I have been waiting for you to show up. I figured that you would be by here soon enough." Tsunade said. Sakura was surprised. "You nervous?"

"A little." She admitted. Tsunade nodded in understanding.

"This is probably the biggest mission you have ever been assigned without a team to back you up. Not to mention, you have never had this much pressure on your shoulders before." said Tsunade with a sad smile. She sighed when she saw Sakura bow her head.

"I am worried, sensei… I mean, Naruto tried—" she started before she was cut off by Tsunade's fist coming down nosily on her desk.

"No! Sakura, you must stop comparing yourself to your teammates and start trusting you own abilities. You have grown considerably from the young girl you were into a very impressive Konoha kunoichi. The only thing you lack is confidence. Now, you will draw your head up and be proud of yourself and do your job! This village is counting on _you_. Not Sasuke or Naruto, not even me but you. This mission potentially has the future of all the Hidden Villages riding on it. Meaning simply that their fates are now in your hands and yours alone. This no time for you to become obsessed with how you compare to your teammates!" snapped Tsunade. Sakura winced slightly at her teacher's words. Her teacher was a tough love sort of person, which what was the real reason that Sakura was the woman she was today. Tsunade was right, Sakura had no time to dwell on whether she was as good as her teammates but she had to focus on completing her assignment to the best of her abilities, which she knew were quite good. She started to smile. She drew up her head and shoulders and said,

"Thanks sensei. But will I tell the others?" she asked as she remembered why she was there in the first place.

"You are going to another village to study medical jutsu for a while. That way if it turns into years before you return no one will get too nervous but you will have to report back to us at least once a month to let us know how things are going. Send the information to Naruto… I do not trust the delivery service nowadays. You still know that transportation jutsu I taught you?" Tsunade asked.

"Hai, sensei." She said. Tsunade nodded.

"Good, use it." Sakura nodded.

"Also, how am I going to reach Tochinoki?" she asked. Tsunade then became thoughtful. Then she stood up and went over to a shelf behind her desk. She pulled down an old worn scroll and returned to her desk. She held out the scroll to Sakura and said,

"This is a human transportation scroll. Just write the name of wherever you want to go in the center and then say: 'transport' to activate it. It only works one way, so make sure you have it right the first time…" said Tsunade as Sakura took it from her. "You might want to also plan on using scrolls to transport your equipment around when you are out and about; these people are not used to people carrying around weapons." Tsunade then walked around the desk and did something unusual. She hugged Sakura. Sakura was so surprised that she went stiff a moment but she relaxed eventually and hugged her teacher back. After a moment, they broke apart and Tsunade dismissed Sakura…

Sakura had spent all day talking with all of her friends and loved ones before she had to leave. She was now currently at her apartment, storing away her equipment in special scrolls like those that Ten-Ten used. She had called Naruto awhile ago and was waiting for him to show up. She finished packing the last few scrolls away and sighed. She was all packed. There was nothing left to do but wait for the inevitable. It might be the last time she would see Konoha again. This thought saddened her the most but she did not have time to dwell on it because at that moment Naruto bounded through her door.

"Ohayo Sakura-chan!" he shouted. She winced but smiled right after.

"Ohayo Naruto-kun, what took you so long?" asked Sakura.

"Tsunade baa-chan called me to her office." said the blonde nonchalantly.

"What did you do?" asked pink-haired girl accusingly. Naruto gulped and quickly back pedaled.

"Whoa! I did not do anything! I was turning in some mission specs, I swear!" He said momentarily putting a hand over his heart.

"Oh okay… Well… I guess… that this is it." She said as she lowered the fist that she had been brandishing at Naruto. Naruto's gaze softened. He slowly walked over to his teammate and joined her on the floor. He put a comforting arm around Sakura's shoulders. He felt bad for her after all she had more pressure than most chunin had to deal with. And on top of that she would have to go alone. This was a type of mission that a jounin should be handling but Tsunade insisted that Sakura go.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, you'll do great!" he said. She smiled at him.

"You know, there is one good thing about Sasuke leaving…" said Sakura.

"What's that?" asked Naruto puzzled.

"I am actually stuck with someone who actually encourages me to do well, not put me down or ignore me… I can only imagine what my emotional state would be like if I would have been stuck here with Sasuke!" she said with a small giggle. Naruto chuckled at her sense of humor. He knew that she was not putting down Sasuke but lifting her spirits at his expense. The two friends talked animatedly for about an hour longer before Naruto looked up and saw that the sun was starting to set. Naruto felt his heart grow heavy. He fingered the paper wrapped package that he was supposed to give to Sakura. He sighed and said,

"Sakura-chan." Sakura looked at her teammate with a little concern. His tone sounded so sad.

"Hai, Naruto-kun?" She asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something wrapped in paper. He handed to her and said,

"Here, a present." She gasped in surprise and took it. She turned it over and opened it. Inside the brown paper laid 10 kunai, 10 shuriken, a new pair of gloves that matched the color of her headband's cloth, and a new headband. She tentatively picked up one of the kunai and gasped as she saw that the metal seemed to give a metallic pink color when it was in the light. She looked down noticed that the shuriken also gave off the same color.

"Naruto, how?" she asked in awe.

"It was just a simple jutsu I had created for pranks. I used it to color your new weapons, of course after Tsunade added some jutsus to it. If you say, 'return' they will return to your pouch or belt. Secondly, they are self cleaning and they are practically indestructible. But here is the best part; you can cast a genjutsu on the weapon and then throw it somewhere and the genjutsu will activate on impact! Is that cool or what?" said Naruto excitedly. Sakura nodded.

"Way cool!" she said as laid the kunai back down. She then picked up her new headband and gasped again. Naruto must have used that same jutsu to imprint light pink cherry blossom petals that glittered in the sun on the headband. But other than that it looked like her old one. "How pretty… arigato, Naruto!" She laid the new headband down and took off her old headband. She then picked up the new one and put it on.

"The gloves and headband are also self-repairing and self-cleaning." said Naruto. "Now with your new gear, you'll be known wherever you go as the Cherry Blossom Ninja, believe it!" He then took out two scrolls and handed them to Sakura.

"One of them holds another surprise for you and the other is for Sasuke when you find him." said Naruto quietly.

"Really? Thanks again Naruto." She said happily. She moved the scrolls and weapons off of her lap and hugged him. "But, what do you mean by that "Cherry Blossom Ninja" remark?" she asked as she let go.

"Well, I figure that this mission is a type of S-class mission, so I thought you should have a name like the other jounin. I mean Kakashi's known as the Copy Ninja." said Naruto with a shrug. Sakura just laughed at him and hugged him again, so glad to have Naruto as a friend. After a moment, they pulled away. "Well I know you probably need to finish packing, so I'll leave now." He stood up and Sakura followed. She walked him to the door and opened it for him. As he was about to walk out the door, he stopped and turned around. "Oh yeah, Tsunade baa-chan asked me to give you this." He said. She took the folded piece of paper that he produced.

"Sayonara, Naruto-kun." She said with a smile. Naruto's heart felt so heavy now that he had to force a smile and say,

"Sayonara, Sakura-chan!" Then he turned around and dashed off before she could see the tears that had started to fall. Sakura was still on her doorstep smiling. She turned around and reentered her apartment. She then remembered the note that Naruto had given her. She opened it and gasped for the third time that day. It was a letter from her sensei.

It read:

_Sakura,_

_I need you gone by sundown today… I am sorry that it is so sudden but I fear that we may be being watched. So any important information needed to be discussed in private rather than where someone could easily overhear… so I had to lie that night that I told you__ that you had __two days__ to prepare,__ to hopefully__ throw off the spy. Good luck and please return to us safe soon!_

_Tsunade_

_The Fifth Hokage_

Sakura was stunned. Well she had no time to dwell on it because the sun was already starting to set…

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**Chapter 2 is ****finito****! So, how was it this time? ****I will discuss what happened to Sasuke next chapter! ****See ya,**

**WK989**


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again! I don't see alot of reviews but I see many hits, so somebody is reading this! Thank you to those who are reading! A few reviews would be nice tho... This is where things start to get interesting…

Disclaimer: Wolfkeeper989 does not own Naruto nor does she own Spirited Away; they belong to the great minds that created them. But the story idea is so mine!

**Chapter 3**

Sakura quickly folded the note and turned back to her gear. She quickly stored her new weapons in some scrolls and put away the two scrolls Naruto had given her. She packed it all away and left out her new gloves. She put those in her pocket and picked up her bag before she put it on her back. She looked around her apartment one last time and her eyes fell on her photo of the old Team Seven. She swallowed when she felt the familiar lump in her throat. But she did not move. She just stared… So many memories were flowing through her mind. But she had to let them go for now because she had to leave. She turned around and picked up her old headband and one of her old kunai before she headed out her apartment. Sakura bounded from rooftop to rooftop. She glanced over worriedly at the rapidly setting sun. Finally, she spotted her destination and started to slow down. She stopped on a roof next to Naruto's apartment and took the old kunai and tied one end of her old headband to it and threw it at Naruto's door. She heard it make a soft thudding sound when it buried itself in the door. She nodded softly to herself, turned, and continued to the outskirts of the village.

Naruto came to the door just as she left because he thought he had heard someone at his door. He did not see anyone but then something glittered out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a kunai stuck in his door with Sakura's old headband on it. He took it down and untied the forehead protector. He sighed sadly and went back inside. He dropped the kunai on the table and went to his bedroom and pulled a box out from under his bed. He opened the metal container and inside it laid a neatly folded Konoha headband with a scratch through the Konoha leaf symbol. He quietly folded Sakura's headband and placed it inside the box right underneath the other one. He gazed down sadly at the box. Two headbands. Two teammates. Both of them were gone. "Sakura-chan, please come back safely and bring Sasuke back with you." He thought to himself…

Sakura finally reached the Konoha gates with a few minutes of sunlight left. She stood in front of them for a moment and then walked through them with a sigh. Once she figured that she was far away enough to stop, she did. She slowly slid off her backpack and knelt down. She removed the transportation scroll. She opened it. There were words on it in the form of a circle. She pulled out the address that the bartender gave her and wrote the name of the town down in the center of the circle. She put the address back in her bag and reclosed it. After a few moments she slipped the pack back onto her shoulders, stepped onto the scroll, and said,

"Transport!" All of a sudden a huge glow engulfed Sakura and when it disappeared, Sakura was gone. The characters that Sakura had written on the scroll had disappeared as well. Then the scroll started to incinerate on its own and after few moments, it was nothing but ashes. Then a gentle wind blew and the ashes were scattered. Meanwhile, Sakura had her eyes squeezed shut and was fighting not to scream as she fell. Then she let out an 'oof' sound as she hit the ground. She groaned as she stood up and looked around. "I hope that this is the right place." She said to herself. After a moment, she took out the address again and started to wander out of the forest that she had landed in. Eventually, she stumbled onto a concrete road. And it was just her luck that a truck happened to be coming towards her. The driver saw her and slowed down to come to a stop in front of her.

"Do you need a ride?" He asked. She nodded. She handed him the paper with the address on it and he said,

"I know where this place is! Hop in; I'll give you a lift. You look like you are not from here." He said. She thanked him and went around to the other side of the truck and climbed in. The driver started the truck once again and he began to drive off. "You must be from one of the smaller villages in Japan." She nodded again. She had decided awhile ago that she would not speak to anyone unless she had to. That way she would not accidentally give away any information. After about fifteen minutes, the driver pulled up to a blue house on a hill. It was simple architecturally. She slowly climbed out of the truck and thanked the driver again. As she watched the driver drive off, she steeled her nerves to meet the Oginos. Finally, she turned and headed to the door. She walked up to the door and tentatively knocked on the door. After a few agonizing moments, a young woman about Sakura's age opened the door.

"Ohayo. Is this the Ogino residence?" Sakura asked. The young woman nodded.

"I am Chihiro Ogino. But my parents are not home." She said. Sakura had to restrain herself from hugging the girl senseless.

"No, I need to actually talk to you," said Sakura, "Oh, I am Sakura Haruno." She reached out her hand and Chihiro shook it. Chihiro had brown hair and brown eyes and she stood at the same height as Sakura. Chihiro gestured for Sakura to come in. Sakura walked into the living room and removed her pack and sat it on the couch. When she turned around, Chihiro was staring at her. "I know my clothes look strange but you see I come from a far away village, I am looking for a friend of mine and I was hoping that you could help me." said Sakura. Chihiro looked puzzled.

"Me? But how can I help you?" asked Chihiro.

"I heard that you had accidentally gotten lost in the spirit world. I think that is where my friend is." said Sakura as she sat down. Chihiro was not sure about this. Many people had teased her about her claims involving the spirit world. She needed to know that this was not just someone trying to play a trick on her.

"How do I know that you are not trying to make fun of me?" asked Chihiro. Sakura was not expecting this… So, she resorted to openly talking about her mission or at least some of it.

"I think that my friend was sent to steal a gold seal from a witch. I am afraid that he may have been caught." said Sakura sadly. Chihiro's face softened at the pink-haired girl's sadness. Maybe she wasn't joking.

"I guess I could help… I still keep in touch with a friend of mine from the spirit world, hold on… I'll be right back." said Chihiro before she rushed up some stairs. Sakura started to fidget uncomfortably. This Chihiro was very trusting it seemed, because she was going to help her even though she didn't know Sakura. Sakura was beginning to feel like this was a set up. But before she could bail, Chihiro returned. She came over and sat next to Sakura with a small paper shape in her hands. She slowly unfolded it and said,

"I am going to send a message to my friend Haku; he works in a bathhouse for spirits. If your friend has been seen in the spirit world he would know. So, what does your friend look like?" she asked. Sakura thought for a moment then said,

"I would not know what he looks like now exactly because he left the village a while back and it's been a while since I have seen him. But I know he has black hair and eyes."

"Black eyes?" asked Chihiro.

"Well, I guess they may be another color but the color is so dark that they look black. But he has really pale skin and a cur-strange mark on his shoulder." said Sakura. She was about to say curse mark but thought better of it after a moment. Chihiro nodded her head and proceeded to scribble a note on the paper. After a few moments, she folded the note back into its strange humanoid shape.

"Alright you! Front and center!" she said and then the strangest thing happened. The little origami person hopped up and started to float a little above the table. Sakura just stared comically at it while Chihiro gave it another order,

"Go to Haku!" The paper soldier seemed to salute Chihiro before it sped off through an open window. Sakura looked up at Chihiro incredulously. "It is a paper flyer. It flies and most of the time I use it to send messages to my friends in the spirit world. It should not take too long for it to reach Haku. So, you can just stay here until it comes back." said Chihiro.

"But how come you are so eager to help me?" asked Sakura. Chihiro just smiled.

"Because one, you are dressed strangely and two, that seal you are talking about belongs to a witch named Zeniba. So, I knew you weren't lying. But just as a caution, if Haku has heard of your friend, one of two things has already happened to him: he has either faded away or has become a slave of Yubaba." Chihiro said in a serious tone. Sakura felt a ball of ice form in her stomach as dread spread through her body.

"W-What?" squeaked Sakura. Chihiro nodded gravely.

"You see, humans do not belong in the spiritual realm. So, if they stay there too long, their bodies start to fade away. If they do not eat food of the spirits in time, they will fade away entirely. And if your friend did manage to find food, then he probably ran into Yubaba at some point in time. Or he could have run into another spirit. Most spirits do not like humans because of the things they did to the spirits' homes or nature and humans smell to spirits." said Chihiro. Sakura looked about ready to cry.

"But what about Yubaba? Didn't you say something about a slave?" asked Sakura.

"Yes, Yubaba is the evil twin of Zeniba. She runs the bathhouse I talked about. She has to offer work to anyone who asks for it. And your friend would need one to stay on in the spirit world. But there is one catch to working for Yubaba…" warned Chihiro.

"Which is?" prodded Sakura.

"She takes your name…" said Chihiro. Sakura was confused by that. What was so bad about someone taking your name?

"But what is so bad about—" she started to ask.

"She takes your name and all the memories associated with it. So, you forget who you were… until you can remember your name. But until then you just work because you have no where else to go, well, you don't know where else to go." finished Chihiro. Sakura had gone pale. This just could not get any worse. Sasuke could be stuck in a strange spirit world with no recollection of Konoha or anything else for that matter, or he could have faded away, or been killed by an evil spirit. "But don't lose hope, Sakura, remember that the mind may have the last say in what is forgotten but the heart has the last say in what is remembered." Sakura stared intently at the young woman beside her.

"But how can—" started Sakura.

"You be so sure?" finished Chihiro with a small smile. "My friend Haku also had his name taken from him, so he could not remember anything about his past… except for me. He was a river spirit and one day I fell into his river and he saved me. He remembered me and my pink shoe that I lost. He reminded me of my name when I had forgotten it but he could not remember his own name. I must have made an impression on his heart that day we met, because he remembered me but not his own past."

"Oh wow…" was all Sakura could say. Now if only the bond between her and Sasuke was that strong. Just as the conversation had started to wind down the paper flyer had returned. It flew into Chihiro's waiting hands. She unfolded it and began to read it. It read:

_My dearest Chihiro,_

_It was good to hear from you. I cannot wait until tomorrow! I can't wait to see you!__ As for this person your friend is looking for, there is someone that fits most of the description you gave me except he does not have a mark on his shoulder but one that spreads over his entire body. You can bring your friend along and see if he is the one that she is looking for. But she __will have to work and follow some rules concerning her 'friend'. But I will make sure that Yubaba does not cause her too much grief. Make sure that you give her a rundown of how the __bathhouse works. Be careful and see you tomorrow._

_Kohaku _

"Your friend has been seen at the bathhouse. You are allowed to travel to the spirit world with me to see him but there are some rules to be followed." said Chihiro as she sat the paper down. Sakura smiled at first because at least now she knew where he was and that he was alive now but then she realized that he was at the bathhouse. That meant that he had no memory of Konoha, Naruto, or… her. All of sudden, Sakura started to laugh at the irony of her situation. She always complained about the fact that Sasuke probably did not even know that she was alive and right about now he probably did not, well, did not remember, anyway. The bitter irony in her situation melted away as it was replaced by despair. Sakura's laughter continued but tears were now leaking down her face. Then the laughter turned to dry sobs and that turned into full blown bawling. Chihiro was moved by Sakura's distress and put her arms around the pink-haired girl to comfort her…

**At Yubaba's bathhouse…**

Kohaku sat back in his chair and sighed. He knew from the moment that the boy entered the bathhouse that he was going to bring trouble. Chihiro was now bringing a friend of his to see him. This could cause a lot of trouble for the spirit world because this would be the most humans that have ever been in the spirit world at once. This could bring real trouble to the spirit world because; if too many people learned of its existence the spirits livelihoods would be in danger. He had first met the boy when he was discovered by a yuna hiding in the gardens outside the bathhouse about half-mad. He had practically begged for a job even after Haku warned him about the witch. He remembered it like it was yesterday:

_A yuna scurried into the room as fast as her legs could carry her. __Haku had looked up from __some paperwork and asked,_

_"What's wrong?" The girl bowed and said,_

_"I am sorry, Master Haku, but a strange boy has been spotted in the gardens. He is brandishing some kind of sword and a strange glow is surrounding his body. He looks about mad in my opinion, sir, but no one can decipher whether he is __a __spirit or human. No one has been __brave enough to get near him.__" She said breathlessly.__ Haku immediately dropped his pen and stood up._

_"Lead me to him." urged Haku.__ The yuna nodded and ran from the room with Haku hot on her heels. When he reached the gardens, he was shocked by what he saw. A tall boy stood in the center of a circle of frightened workers__. His hair __was as dark as the night itself.__ He had burning eyes the color of blood. A strange marking covering most of his body was glowing bright gold. Lighting encased the weapon that Haku recognized as a katana blade. The boy almost looked like a demon. But as he stared into the boy's eyes he could readily see fear, confusion, and many other emotions swimming in those deep red orbs. His eyes were also glassy and glazed over. Haku was not even sure if the boy was aware of where he was or what was going on around him.__ Haku knew that the human, by now he could smell him, was unstable. So, he had to be very careful in how he approached the boy, because this boy possessed strange powers that not even he quite understood. Haku took a small step forward __and the boy's attention instantly shifted to Haku. Haku stiffened slightly by reflex but he did speak,_

_"What are you doing here?" The boy did not answer right away but he seemed to be muttering to himself. Haku strained his hearing to pick up what the boy was saying,_

_"That snake, the one… in the lake… she did this… but what did she do?" was all that Haku could make out amongst his garbled mutterings. __Haku now glanced at the boy's strange attire and saw that it was ragged and torn. How had he survived the spirit world for so long without disappearing? But at least now he understood that the boy must have been cursed by another spirit at some point, which might have a good influence on the s__tate__ the boy's mind__ was in at the moment__. Haku quickly deduced that boy was quite disturbed but harmless. Haku was shook from his musing by a cry. The boy was screaming at the top of his lungs and he had dropped his sword. The lighting that had surrounded the blade had disappeared as soon as it had left his hands. He clutched at his head __and doubled over. All the while he was hissing to himself, "I want to forget… I want to forget… I want to forget…" That curse that had been placed on him was driving the human insane and Haku was at a loss on what to do. So, finally he had pulled himself together and continued towards the boy slowly. The human had not even seemed to notice, he was too caught up in his delusions. After a few tense moments, Haku came to stand behind the human and laid his hand on the back of the boy's neck and immediately sent some of his magic into it. The boy gasped for a m__oment and then fell unconscious. _

_"You may go now. The danger has passed, return to work." said Haku as he waved the stunned workers away. The workers came to their senses quickly and scurried back to their jobs. Haku sighed as he stared down at the human. After a moment, he summoned one of his protection amulets. It was made of a simple black rope tied around a piece of quartz that was taken from his river. This would let Yubaba know that the human was not hers to mess with if he decided to work for her.__ Meaning she could not completely enslave the boy like she had done Haku years ago.__ He slowly bent down and tied it around the boy's neck. Then he touched the boy's neck again and he started to stir. Just as he did so, Yubaba came into the garden._

_"Haku! When were you going to tell me about this intrusion?" spat the witch angrily. Haku looked at her evenly before replying,_

_"I control this bathhouse now. Sure__ you are still the owner but I control whatever goes on in this bathhouse except the hiring of the work staff in this establishmen__t. So, I do__ not have to tell you of anything __witch." Haku watched in delight as the witch's face turned purple. After the incident with Chihiro a few years back, the higher spirits did an inquiry into the bathhouse. They found Yubaba's work to be less than exemplary. They stripped her of most of her powers concerning the bathhouse except for the hiring of employees, which __they decided to let her __keep __since, __she__was __hiring people that asked for work__ as __they __required. She still "owned" the bathhouse but she just did not run it anymore. She was also in charge of the accounts but they had to be finalized by the new controller before they could become legit. The Higher Spirits then tracked Haku down at his own river, which he had finally found again with Chihiro's help a few years back. They informed him that he was the new controller… and the rest is history. _

_Haku's attention was shifted back to the human who let out a groan as he regained consciousness. He was slowly __pushing himself off of the ground. Haku tried to help but the human pushed away his helping hands. _

_"Where is she?" he spat. Haku was extremely confused._

_"Where is who?" asked Haku._

_"Where is the snake that bit me?" he hissed. He had not looked up yet._

_"I do not know. There are many lake spirits, it is impossible to know, which one you angered, human." said Haku. Yubaba continued to stand off to the side with a scowl on her face. But she jumped when the human started to throw another fit. Yubaba gave Haku a questioning glance. He sighed. "The human must have angered a spirit and the spirit cursed him. Now, whatever she did is driving him crazy." said Haku. Yubaba stared back at the human. The human finally lifted his head and Haku had to fight the urge to gasp. The human'__s eyes were no longer red but a deep onyx color. This human certainly was strange. _

_"I want to forget…" he gasped. Haku just stared. What could be so bad that this boy wanted to forget it as soon as possible? Yubaba smiled._

_"If you want to forget, you must be willing to work… Are you?" asked the witch. For a moment, an intense pride flashed in the boy's eyes. Haku could see that the boy came from high standing just from his physical appearance and his stare. But that pride soon turned to desperation as another painful memory seemed to rob the boy of air. He doubled over again and finally strangled out,_

_"I don't care! I'll work! I just want to forget!" screamed the boy. __The witch's smile only grew. _

_"Fine!" A pen and a piece of paper appeared out of the air. She laid the paper down in front of the boy.__ He looked up at the witch. "Sign. It is your work contract. Sign your name over to me and you will forget…" The boy reached slowly for the pen and took it. He looked down at the contract and then started to sign. After a moment he gave the pen and contract back to Yubaba. She regarded it for a moment. She then held her other hand over the contract. Haku watched the characters float__ed__ off the page and into her hand, which she snapped closed. "Your new name is Suke, understood?" Haku watched in rapt fascination as the strange mark that had been glowing brightly the entire time, slowly dim__med__ until there was no light left. There was only a huge red scar on his body; no doubt that it was given to him by the spirit he angered._

_"Yes,"__ Suke__ said. _

_"I am Master Haku and this is Yubaba." said Haku by way of introduction. Suke nodded once to Yubaba and once to Haku in acknowledgement. _

_"You do what you like with him, Haku. My work here is done." said Yubaba and with that was gone. Haku turned back to Suke, who had managed to make it back to his feet by now._

_"Since there is no where I can really place you at the moment, you will be my assistant. __You will help __me __out when I ask for it. And you will help out the other departments in the bathhouse when your help is needed. But for now you will stay with Kamaji, the boiler man. He has somewhere you can sleep, follow me." said Haku as he turned and led his new assistant to the boiler room…_

That incident happened months ago. Suke was still Haku's assistant and the boy still slept in the boiler room with Kamaji. His scar has not glowed since that night he was found. Haku figured that scar was activated by or aggravated by those memories that had haunted his assistant. But now that they were gone the curse scar was not triggered. Haku was awaken from his musing by Suke, who was bringing Haku his lunch, since the dragon was far too busy to go get it himself. The boy sat down the tray on his desk and asked in a quiet, almost emotionless voice if he needed anything else.

"Yes, I need you to let Lin know she needs to prepare Sen's things for her arrival tomorrow and to also prepare room for one more. She is bringing a friend with her and she is willing to work." said Haku. He picked up his pen and started to write once again.

"Hai, Master Haku. Will that be all?" Suke asked. Haku was about to say yes but thought better of it and sighed.

"Tell Yubaba of these developments as well. You may go." He said. The boy bowed and quietly left the room…

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**That's it!****I know, I know…**** Why in the hell did Sasuke sign away his name and past? Well, you **_**may**_** find out next chapter! Bye ****bye**


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for your interest in this story… sorry, kind of another filler chapter but it contains foreshadowing. The chapters that follow this will have a great deal more action in them. The story will pick up speed in chapter 5 but no ninja battles until later on. **Please read!! I have created a poll for the next story I should upload after the completion of my other fanfic, Strangers Like Us; please visit my profile and cast your vote. Instructions for voting are on my profile page. Thanks!**

Disclaimer: Wolfkeeper989 does not own Naruto nor does she own Spirited Away; they belong to the great minds that created them. But the story idea is so mine!

**Chapter 4**

Sakura cried only for a few moments. It had been the first time in almost three years. She felt like that insecure twelve year-old again and that bothered her. She looked up into the worried face of Chihiro. She was silently grateful for her support. Man, she wondered how Naruto was fairing. He was always the one to cheer her up. She looked up at Chihiro again and saw the young woman smile lightly as she held up a tissue for Sakura. Sakura smiled. She took the tissue from Chihiro and wiped her face.

"I know that this must be hard for you… but it will turn out okay… you'll see." said Chihiro. Sakura sat up straighter and forced a smile that did not reach her eyes. "Why don't I explain how the bathhouse works, so that there will not be any surprises for you." Sakura nodded and Chihiro started to explain.

**Meanwhile back in Konoha…**

Naruto was sitting at Ichikaru's with Hinata at his side. Naruto was quietly picking at his food. Hinata was worried because there was never a time, until now, that she had not seen Naruto eating. She looked at Naruto worriedly before she attempted to speak.

"A-Ano, Naruto-k-kun… A-Are you a-alr-r-right?" This simple question seemed to draw Naruto out of his brooding.

"Oh, sure Hinata-chan… What makes you think that I am not ok?" asked Naruto in a too-cheery tone of voice. Hinata raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Well, you a-are not e-eating." She stated. Naruto looked down at his still full bowl and sighed. The Hyuuga heiress may not have been as strong as her cousin Neji but the girl was sharp! Naruto sighed again before saying,

"If only I could tell you Hinata-chan, I would. But I have been sworn to secrecy." Hinata looked down at her lap and stared. "Gomen, Hinata-chan but I need to go see Tsunade baa-chan." She nodded slowly and said,

"Then sayonara, N-N-Naruto-kun…" she said softly. Then Naruto did something unexpected, he stood up and hugged Hinata. Hinata felt her heart skip a beat. "Just breathe, Hinata… just breathe… don't faint… don't faint." She mentally counseled herself as she shakily hugged him back. He let her go slowly and backed up. He scratched the back of his neck nervously and gave a smile.

"See later ya, Hinata-chan," he said in his usually cheerful and loud voice. He then turned around and ran off. All the while he was oblivious to the fact that poor Hinata was as red as a freshly ripened cherry. She finally left the restaurant after about 30 minutes and started to walk home. When she finally reached her home, Neji was waiting for her.

"Where were you?" he asked as she walked past. She looked at him and said,

"Talking…" He raised an eyebrow.

"Really? With whom?" he asked.

"Naruto-kun." She said simply as she walked up the stairs. Neji frowned disapprovingly as he said,

"Naruto…" She stopped halfway up the stairs and turned back around to face her cousin.

"Yes, Neji… Naruto." She said.

"But he does not even have a…" Neji started. Hinata marched back down the stairs and stood toe to toe with her cousin and looked him straight in the eye.

"Were you going to say 'family'?" she asked without the slightest tremble to her quiet voice. "Because let me point out one little thing about _family_. It does not mean a thing when _family_ pride is on the line. Hello! Earth to Neji-kun! That is why you are stuck as a member of the branch house and cursed! So, in my opinion, _pedigree_ does not mean a thing to me! Because that is all _family_ is to the Hyuuga clan nothing but titles! But that does not mean a thing to me! So you better watch yourself Hyuuga Neji!" said Hinata jabbing her small finger into Neji's chest.

Neji stared at Hinata quite comically. He was not sure if he was more shocked by the fact that his cousin had just spoken for nearly five whole minutes without a single stutter or by the fact that she was threatening him. He could only continue to stare as she marched up the stairs to her home with her head held high…

**Back with Sakura…**

Chihiro's parents had come home and gladly gave Sakura a place to sleep. It was late at night but Sakura was still wide awake. "Sasuke-kun… What could have happened to you?" she thought to herself. What was sole survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre like now? Was he still cold and distant? Or had he changed into someone different? Would he come back with her? Was he… happy? So many questions filtered through her head that she could not answer. She rolled onto her side in the spacious full size bed in the Oginos' guest room. She knew she needed to rest but she was too nervous to do so. After tossing and turning for a few moments more, Sakura finally drifted into a fitful sleep.

_In a dream…_

Sakura was standing in a black void. There was nothing around or below her. She thought that she heard a sound behind her and she swirled around to see what the noise was. She gasped at what she saw. There were two huge versions of Marada Uchiha, whose face was covered by a mask, and Orochimaru, the former of which Sakura did not readily know, but that is who her mind said it was. She realized that the two figures had chakra strings extending from their fingers; below the menacing pair of puppeteers stood Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura eyes widen in surprise and then she understood. Sasuke was Orochimaru's pawn while Itachi was Marada Uchiha's pawn. The dark masters slowly pulled on chakra strings and the two brothers started to move. Sakura watched in horror as the two brothers began to fight to the death. Just as she was going to call out to them, a streak of red lighting came out of no where and streaked past her. It was heading straight for Marada but the masked figure just flicked his wrist and Itachi was pulled away from his brother and into the direct path of the lighting. The lighting struck Itachi with such force that he could not even utter a cry of pain before he fell from the air. The masked Uchiha had severed the chakra strings that had been holding Itachi when the lighting hit, so that he would not be affected when Itachi was zapped.

Sakura cringed when Itachi hit the ground with a sickening thudding sound. She waited to see what would happen when Itachi woke up because she knew that the famous Slayer of the Uchiha clan would not fall so easily. She stared intently as Itachi slowly raised his head up and planted his hands on the ground tried to push himself onto his feet but it looked as if only half of his body would work. The bottom half of his body was limp and lifeless. She realized that Itachi was paralyzed from the waist down. After managing to drag him a few feet, Itachi, collapsed again and did not move. Sakura looked back at Sasuke and saw no emotion on his face. He was just standing there like a statue since Orochimaru was no longer working the strings that were connected to the boy. Sakura gasped as a crack of thunder was heard but there were no clouds where they were. Her gasp did not go unnoticed by Orochimaru and Marada though. Orochimaru turned slightly and smirked when he saw the pink haired kunoichi standing a few feet away from him.

"Sakura-chan… How nice of you to join us," He hissed and Sakura took an instinctive step backwards. But just as Orochimaru took a step forward, another streak of red lighting streaked passed the medic nin again but instead it was heading for Orochimaru. Sakura felt her heart go cold as it dawned on her that Sasuke was going to suffer the same fate as his brother Itachi if she did not do something soon. She reached in to her leg pouch and pulled out one of her new kunai and filled it with her chakra until it glowed with a pink light. She threw it expertly and fast as Orochimaru flicked his wrist to bring Sasuke's body up into the air to block the lighting. Sakura's chakra filled kunai slashed through the Sanin's chakra strings and Sasuke's position changed. Instead of continuing up into the air, the boy started flying forward. Sakura realized that Sasuke was still in danger and in an instant threw her hands up and forward. She had no idea why she had done it, though; she had just acted out of instinct. She was shocked when she saw pink chakra strings fly from her fingertips and latch onto Sasuke. But she bullied her way through the shock, pulled back on the chakra strings, and moved Sasuke out of harm's way. The lighting had barely missed Sasuke and continued forward until it met with Orochimaru and the Sanin let out a strangled cry before he crumpled to the floor and stayed there. Sasuke, on the other hand, was guided back down to the ground and onto his feet perfectly by Sakura.

"hhhhm… I suppose I should thank you pinked haired one… you saved me from having to do a lot of work…" drawled Marada Uchiha and Sakura snarled as she felt her blood boil.

"'Saved you a lot of work'?! Pah! You snake, you would not have done anything! You would have made Itachi do all the work! And Orochimaru would have done the same with Sasuke!" she shrieked with indignation. At the mention of Itachi, Marada Uchiha looked down at the fallen nin and shook his head.

"Another broken toy… ah well… there are more where he came from…" he lamented with a shrug. Sakura lost her temper. She let out a scream of rage which caught Marada off guard. Sakura felt her fingers move on their own accord again and she watched in slight fascination as Sasuke flew forward while drawing his katana. When he was close enough to the red masked Uchiha, she felt her fingers move again and Sasuke's sword come around and down. Sasuke took a swipe at the strange ninja but missed when Marada disappeared at the last second. Sakura cursed and pulled Sasuke back with a flick of her wrists. How was she doing this? She had seen other people do it before but she herself was never trained to use the Puppet Jutsu like Kankuro but here she was directing Sasuke's movements with chakra strings just like Chiyo-sama did for her during that fight with Sasori. Maybe, if she could wake Sasuke up, they could work together to bring down this masked ninja. But before she could call out to the entranced Uchiha, something in the back of her mind cried out: _Protect Itachi!_ She moved her hands again and Sasuke landed in between his fallen sibling and the red masked ninja. His katakana was blocking Marada Uchiha's kunai.

"Why attempt to save a useless toy; the same useless toy that took your precious Sasuke-kun from you?" Orochimaru's soft voice jeered as she watched him struggle back to his feet. How? How is he alive? Then she saw the strings attached to his burned body. Marada was using Orochimaru like a puppet, in the same manner that she was using Sasuke. But then how was he fighting Sasuke, too? Then it hit her: Kage Bushin! She had to think quickly. She moved her fingers again and Sasuke pushed the bushin back and took another swipe at the fake Uchiha and hit his mark. The Kage Bushin disappeared with a poof sound. Sakura called out to Sasuke in an attempt to wake him up.

"Sasuke! Snap out of it! You need to get out of there!" The said boy started for a moment, as if he had been woken up by someone. He looked about in a daze before his onyx eyes fell on Sakura.

"Sakura?" he asked as he stared. She nodded. "How did you—" but he never got to finish his question because Sakura screamed,

"Look out!" Sasuke turned away from Sakura to see a burned Orochimaru headed straight for him with his sword sticking out of his mouth. He was too shocked to do anything about it, though. His mind was still too busy trying to grasp a reason why his 'sensei' would be attacking him. Just when Orochimaru was about to strike, Sasuke let out a cry of surprise as he felt his body being jerked backwards at the last second. Orochimaru's attack missed and Sasuke landed safely on his feet. He turned back around to face Sakura and his eyes widened when he saw the pink chakra strings that were attached to his body. "Sasuke, you have to trust me… if you don't both of us will die… do you trust me?" she asked. Sasuke looked thoughtful for a moment and Sakura began to grow nervous. They did not have the luxury of time and his needing to think meant that he may not trust her. But his voice called her out of her musings.

"I trust you." He said softly. She nodded back to him and he turned back to face Orochimaru's body. But the body was no longer standing but instead it was lying on the ground in a heap. Where had Marada Uchiha gone? Then Sakura remembered that Itachi was still defenseless. Her eyes roamed to the limp unconsciousness form that lay about two feet in front of Sasuke. She felt her fingers move again as her eyes caught a flash of red out of the corner of her vision. Sasuke zipped forward again, scoped the unmoving form of Itachi up, and slung him over his shoulder. Just as Marada lunged forward to attack, Sakura pulled on the strings and Sasuke was pulled back to safety. He laid Itachi down and stood back up to stare at Marada who was coming towards the pair. Sakura was not sure what to do now… most of this fight had been conducted through the guidance of another consciousness that seemed to know how to handle the situation. But that guiding voice had just seemed to disappear. Marada continued moving towards them and Sakura could only stare back at his cold red eye. Then a voice cut through dark saying,

_Trust yourself, young kunoichi and you will be fine… _

Sakura shot up in the bed in cold sweat. What was that dream about? Who was Marada Uchiha. She looked out the window and noticed that the sun was slowly starting to rise. Today she would have to face the brainwashed and still very estranged Sasuke Uchiha. She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed. She had no idea what she was getting into or why. She had developed a habit of always having a plan ready to go before a mission. And at the moment… Sakura had zip. She had been given a crash course in how the spirit world worked and what her responsibilities were:

Spirits considered humans to be lower life forms and despised them for the destruction of their lands.

Most of the spirits are very arrogant; so plenty of groveling should get you far.

Don't question what the spirits do; just keep working.

Only do what Lin, Haku, and Yubaba says; only if Haku approves.

The work day starts at sunrise doesn't end until the last customer leaves.

Finally, you can not say anything to Sasuke about his past unless he asks; it could be dangerous to his health.

She had to keep all this in mind as well as her village's mission. But thankfully, Chihiro was more than willing to help in any way possible. She set up a meeting with the current controller of the bathhouse for Sakura, so that she could fully explain why she was there and the delicate situation that was currently balanced upon her shoulders. Also Chihiro had scored her a special working permit that would allow her to retain her memories but she would still have to trade in her name temporarily.

She sighed and stood up. She knew that she was going to continue dwelling on her nonexistent plan, so she decided to which gears and think about something else. The first thing that came to mind was that crazy dream that she just woke up from. So as she slowly packed and prepared for the trip ahead of her today, she tried to decipher the dream…

**Meanwhile…**

Suke was preparing for the arrival of Mistress Sen and her friend that were coming to work for the summer as well as the arrival of a very important spirit. The room he was currently cleaning bugged him to no end because not only was it the biggest, least used and cleaned, but it was pink. For some odd reason pink aggravated him. A tumult of emotions would overcome Suke that would almost leave him breathless. The emotions would bring on their own amounts of pain and confusion. But that was not the strangest part of the situation, the strangest part was that he was drawn to pink and the color orange; they brought him a lot of comfort. He had asked Master Haku many times about his strange condition. But the only answer that the river spirit would give him was that it had something to do with the strange mark that covered his body.

He shook his head and pulled the last of covers up and straightened out the wrinkles. As he finished the job the scar on his hand caught his attention. He looked at the red flesh and sighed. He was used to being treated like the leper of the bathhouse. He did not have a mirror so he had never seen what the mark really looked like to someone else. He could see bits and pieces of when he bathed but that was it. Suke knew that there was a mirror in the room but he could never find the courage to look into it… he was afraid of what the mirror would reveal and yet he was desperate to look… to know what he really looked like; who he was. But his philosophical musings were cut short when one of the lesser yunas poked her head in the door and told him that Master Haku wished to see him.

Suke followed the yuna out of the room and down the hall. The yuna eventually veered off and went down another corridor; she probably had other duties to attend to. Suke just continued on his way all the while allowing his mind to rest on the neatly kept walls and the fickle ornaments and statues that lined the walls. The ornaments and statues would change shapes in the dark and light. At night when the lights were on and the lanterns lit, the wall tenants would look stately and sophisticated. During the day, the decorations would look grotesque and iniquitous; their metamorphosis caused by the shadows and lack of light during the closed up doldrums of the day shifts. The young assistant was fascinated by the amount of sway that light had over the world. Different types of light control the colors of the world and their intensities. Light helps to create shadows and with the addition of rain can also create rainbows. Some people even believe that light exists within people. Suke did not know if he believed in this theory or not but before he could even start to debate this issue, he spotted the door to his master's office. He quickly pulled his thoughts together and stopped daydreaming as he reached for the door handle and twisted it. After Suke stepped in, Master Haku did not even look up from the paperwork on his desk but lifted a lazy hand to beckon the young man forward.

Haku, aka Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, was an all power river spirit that the gods had entrusted to take over the bathhouse after they had disagreement with Yubaba about how she ran her bathhouse. He had seaweed green hair and eyes the color of dark emeralds. He had a friendly warm smile most of the time and was very business like, although he could be just a little arrogant… well, very arrogant. But Suke had noticed a strange change in his employer ever since Haku had received word that Chihiro would be returning to the bathhouse. He was a lot more easygoing and more accepting of things. But Suke did not question it, since it was not his place to do so.

"Suke, Chihiro and her friend should be arriving soon. I would like for you to be prepared to meet them with food and bring them straight to me. But until then please continue with your normal duties, the girls should not arrive until about a few hours before sundown. Oh yes, and please make sure that Lin is prepared for her charges." said Haku. Suke bowed and turned to leave.

**Back with Sakura…**

Chihiro and she had left the Ogino residence little after sunrise and were halfway to their destination. Sakura was shocked that Chihiro's parents would allow for their daughter to wander around without protection and travel to the spirit world at that. She decided to voice her curiosity.

"Chihiro, why do your parents allow you to travel so far on your own? They aren't worried about your safety?" she asked. Chihiro nodded quickly and then grinned wickedly. Sakura winced slightly, Chihiro's wolfish grin reminded her too much of Naruto. Speaking of Naruto, how was he doing? But she was quickly brought out of her reminiscing by Chihiro's voice.

"My parents believe that I am walking to a neighbor's house and that they are driving me to the bus station. I am supposed to be headed for summer study in another town." Sakura frowned.

"But if that is your alibi, then what happens when your family decides to call to check up on you or come to visit you, huh?" she asked smugly. Chihiro's grin only widened.

"Haku can use magic to change his voice and convinces my parents that he is my tutor in Japanese Mythology and History. Also, my parents believe that the bathhouse is actually a world renowned private school, and they are very strict about visitors because the administration believes that it provides too much distraction and that being away from home helps to cultivate my independence. While I am at the bathhouse, the various workers there show me how to prepare different foods, herbal mixes, perform prayers and folk songs, and Haku helps me study spirit history as well as Japanese human history. So when I return home I have plenty to show my parents and I get to enjoy my summer." explained Chihiro. Sakura grinned broadly, she liked Chihiro.

"I have only one other question for you." said Sakura. Chihiro beamed back and asked,

"What?"

"Can I join in on your lessons?" asked Sakura. Chihiro nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure thing, Sara." Sakura blinked in confusion. Then Chihiro quickly added, "You have to have a new name when you enter the bathhouse." Sakura formed a silent 'o' of understanding with her lips. "So, what's it like to be a ninja?" Sakura grinned again.

"It has its merits and its drawbacks." said Sakura cryptically, "But I could show you some tricks." Chihiro whooped in delight.

"Cool! Haku never lets me do things like that at the bathhouse; he is terrified that I would hurt myself." Chihiro said, "But still, what is it like for you being a ninja. I bet it is liberating and cool."

"Trust me; it is not all it's cracked up to be." Sakura sighed at the thought of all the things that had happened to her over the past few years. But for some odd reason, she began to tell Chihiro her entire tale. Chihiro was very attentive to what Sakura was saying. She would laugh at all the right parts and she would cry at the right parts. Before either of the girls knew it, they were standing outside a wooded area that had a dirt road running through it. Chihiro said,

"We're here. We just follow the road and then we go through the tunnel and we're there." Sakura felt her heart begin to race. This was it, she was about to see Sasuke again but would it be a good meeting? The girls had made halfway down the dirt path, when they spotted a hooded figure blocking the path. Sakura stiffened when she felt the chakra signature that radiated from the figure. Whoever they were they had some serious power at their disposal. Sakura came out of her trance at the sound of Chihiro's voice,

"Did Haku send you?" she asked. The hooded figure nodded as the two travelers came to stop in front of them. The figure turned to stare at Sakura, or at least Sakura thought that they were staring at her. She could not see what the hooded figure's face looked like because they were a good head taller than she was. But she immediately recognized who it was as soon as they spoke,

"I missed you, Sakura."…

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**Well, that's it! Thanks for reading! Happy New Year!!!! How does Suke remember Sakura? Maybe, I'll tell you next chapter! Review plz thanks!! Sorry it took so long!**


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, first off let me start off by saying... I AM SO SORRY! My life has been insane and I am trying to pick up the pace and complete these stories. Thanks for your interest in this story. The chapters that follow this will have a great deal more action in them. The story will pick up some speed in this chapter but no ninja battles until later on. **Please read! As of 6/19/12 this poll is closed. Thank you to everyone who participated in the voting! **

**The final results are:**

**Naruto: 2**

**Ki****ngdom Hearts: 5**

**Stranger's Like Us sequel: 30**

**Inuyasha: 0**

**Surprise Us: 11**

**As of right now, my main focus will be on cleaning up existing fics and working on the Strangers Like Us sequel and maybe a surprise.**

Disclaimer: Wolfkeeper989 does not own Naruto nor does she own Spirited Away; they belong to the great minds that created them. Also, I want to give credit to the amazing Velf for her version of the of Spirit World and most of its inhabitants, since I will be using her basis as the basis for the characters and Spirit World that will be in this story. But the story idea is so mine!

**Chapter 5**

Sakura gaped for a moment. She recognized the voice. It could only be one person… It could only be Sasuke. How... did he know her name? She thought that he had lost his memory due to the taking of his name. She could only stare at him as her mind worked on overdrive to work out what was going on, until Chihiro's inquisitive voice rang out,

"Are you a spirit?" The hooded figure turned slightly and momentarily studied Chihiro before shaking his head.

"No, I am human, like you. My name is Suke and I am the personal assistant to Master Haku." He then bowed formally towards Chihiro as he continued,

"You must be Mistress Chihiro." Chihiro nodded and politely returned the bow as Sakura mimicked the action beside her. Sakura marveled at the difference in Sasuke's voice. It wasn't that it had deepened, she had expected that, but it wasn't cold and indifferent. It actually sounded soft, polite, and almost warm. After a moment, Suke straightened and beckoned for the young women to follow him. Sakura followed behind Chihiro as she followed the hooded figure through the trees. Sakura began to look around for some oddity that could serve as a trail marker. She was hoping to locate some markers that could be used to find her way back, in case she needed to return. The day was warm and clear. The sun was beaming down on them even though most of the light was blocked by the evergreen trees that made up the forest.

There was nothing that stood out to kunoichi until they rounded a bend in the path and Sakura saw a squat and homely statue half covered by kudzu. The statue was of a squat and rotund person with a hood on its head. It had creepy, yet almost goofy grin on its face. It also had wide, round eyes that lacked pupils. It also had a set of rounded appendages were its arms and hands should have been. These appendages wrapped around the waist of the statue as if it were clasping its hands in front of its middle. She took out one of her new kunai and stabbed it into the ground next to the statue as a marker, in case she came across another similar statue later, and quickly caught back up with Chihiro and Suke.

"Why did you stop?" asked Chihiro as Sakura reached the young woman's side.

"I was looking at the statue. I was trying to find a marker to look for in case I needed to come back to the mortal realm." she replied as Chihiro tripped over a crooked stone in the pathway they were traversing. Sakura reached out quickly and righted the girl with one hand. Chihiro murmured her thanks as her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. Sakura assured her that it all right and continued to follow the pathway. Chihiro could only watch jealously as Sakura's feet instinctively avoided every upturned stone in the path without having to look down once! Chihiro had to continually look at the ground to look for possible stones that might trip her up.

"How can you do that without looking down?" Chihiro asked.

"Do what?" asked Sakura.

"Walk without tripping over anything." Chihiro muttered irritably. Sakura frowned in confusion for a moment before she understood.

"Well, as a shinobi, I have to travel quickly over all types of terrain including trees. So, we are taught early on to have good foot coordination. So, walking over a path of uneven stones is not too difficult." the kunoichi admitted. Chihiro nodded softly.

"Oh, that makes sense, but I forgot to mention that the barrier doesn't open until around either of the solstices or either of the equinoxes." explained Chihiro. "It's possible to go around it but only spirits can do it and it takes a great deal of power to do so." Sakura heart almost stopped. She could only return to this side of the spiritual divide _four_ times a year until her mission was complete. Tsunade-sama was not going to be happy to with that news. She was supposed to report in once a month, how could she manage to do that when she could only pass through this barrier at specified times? She would have to ask this Haku for some help or send her shinshou a very sincere apology and an explanation.

"Oh, all right. Well, I will just have to adjust." she muttered. Chihiro looked at her for a moment in sympathy. "Do you think that Haku would be willing to help send messages back to my village? It is vital to my mission."

"I don't know; Haku is a river spirit. His personality reflects that. One minute he can be calm and tranquil and the next he is enraged and destructive. It just all depends. But I am sure if you explain why you are here he may be willing to consider helping you." explained Chihiro. "I know that you were looking for your friend, Sasuke, but that is all I know. What exactly is your mission?" Sakura debated with herself. Should she tell Chihiro more? On one hand, she may need the girl's help to complete her mission, but at the same time her mission was a class-S mission. She was forbidden to speak of her mission with anyone, but then again, she had already broken that rule when she mentioned that she was looking for Sasuke to Chihiro. She decided as long as no other ninja knew that she was here, she could tell the girl what her mission entailed. But she decided that it would be better to wait until they were on the other side of the divide.

"I would not feel comfortable speaking about my mission until we crossover. I don't want any shinobi learning what my actual mission parameters are." whispered Sakura. Chihiro nodded in understanding before pointing at the distant Suke ahead of them. Sakura nodded and both young women picked up their walking pace. Eventually, the young people were walking side by side. Suke was serenely looking ahead as he navigated the time worn path to the barrier. Chihiro was mindlessly gazing around at the forest around them while, at the end, Sakura was lost in her own thoughts. Sakura was starting to feel anxiety build in her stomach as the full weight of her mission hit her. The fate of the Hidden Villages really did rest on her shoulders, not to mention so did the fate of the Uchiha clan as well. Sakura frowned as she thought back to the mission instructions that she had been given by Tsunade-sama. She, for all intents and purposes, was an ambassador for Konoha. It was up to her to negotiate with the Spirits on behalf of the citizens of Konoha. If she failed, then Konoha could potentially end up with a world full of deadly enemies. According to what she had learned from Chihiro, the best she could expect from the Spirits was that they would remain neutral in the affairs of the shinobi. Sakura could only sigh as her thoughts became darker and more uncertain.

"Are you well, Sakura-chan?" asked a soft voice. Sakura gave startled yelp and barely restrained herself from throwing a punch. She whipped her head around to find herself face to face with Suke. She immediately turned an embarrassing shade of red. She wasn't sure what embarrassed her more that she had been daydreaming while on a mission or the fact that Sasuke was still able to make her blush just by standing next to her. "I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten you."

"No, it's quite alright. I was not paying attention. I was thinking about-" she faltered as she tried to come up with a good enough lie to tell Suke, but then Suke spoke again,

"Your mission." Sakura gaped for a moment before she barked out, "How-Why would you say that?"

"Ninja are not usually found on this side of the divide. I know that Mistress Chihiro is not a ninja, so I assumed that you were sent here by the Hokage. Am I correct?" he asked.

"I-I-" Sakura was at a loss for words. "I was sent by the Lady Hokage, but it is an S-class mission so I cannot discuss it... openly at least."

"I understand. I would have been shocked if it was ranked any lower than an S." muttered Suke. Sakura was more than vaguely confused now, she had been informed that Suke could not remember anything about his former life due to the witch's spell. Then why did he was he able to guess why she was there and recognize her? Sakura had to know,

"How do you know all of this, I was told that you have no memories of who you used to be?" she asked.

"I don't recall anything about myself specifically, but I do recall having friends that were ninja in..." Sakura watched as Suke's face screwed up in concentration as he tried to recall the village's name. Sakura frowned in distress as she watched the ninja that she had admired and wanted to impress struggle to even remember the name of his home village, Konoha. Sakura could not drown in her pity too long, because she felt a light touch from Chihiro on her arm. As the mentally distracted Suke continued on down the path, Sakura dropped back to chat with the girl.

"It maybe you." said Chihiro. Sakura turned to look at the brunette.

"What do I have to do with anything?" Sakura asked, Chihiro answered the rose-haired nin's question with a question.

"Remember when I told you about how I helped Haku remember his name?" Sakura nodded.

"Maybe this is the same thing, he remembers that the two of you were/are friends. Anything that pertains to you or your friendship, he would be able recall it. But if it did not, he could not. For example, if someone asked him to talk about being a ninja, he would remember that he had a teammate named Sakura that was a ninja, but he may or may not be able to realize the fact that he was also a ninja." Sakura mulled over the girl's words for a moment before she quickened her pace until she was next to the cursed human. She then turned to look at Suke and asked,

"Do the names Uchiha or Orochimaru mean anything to you?" The raven haired boy looked at her blankly,

"No. Not really, should they?" Suke's eyebrows furrowed as he thought some more. Sakura's eyebrows flew into her hair line. Then she decided to test Chihiro's theory further.

"What about Naruto?" she asked and watched in awe as Suke's face lit up in recognition.

"He was your teammate, correct?" Suke answered. Sakura nodded. But, before she could ask him another question, he continued speaking,

"And I think that he was... my friend." Sakura almost passed out then, the Sasuke she had known would have died before ever admitting that Naruto, the dobe, was his friend.

"Yes, you were and are friends." she answered carefully. She was about to continue but stopped dead when they came around the final bend in the path reached a small creek. The area was a lot darker now, since the trees were closer together and denser in this part of the forest. The creek was not deep... a car could drive through it. But it was deep enough for their lower legs and feet to get wet as they waded across. Sakura and Suke waded across with little trouble. Chihiro nearly fell once but managed to regain her balance and continued to cross the creek. Once she had joined the two ninja on the other side, the three youth continued on their way. As they turned another bend in the road, Sakura felt something that had her paling, but she continued walking. Sakura herded Chihiro into the middle and forward a little to protect the girl. Sakura noticed Suke's walk had changed. While on the outside, he seemed calm, Sakura could tell he had slipped into a battle mode. He was ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"It seems the wind is starting to pick up, don't you think so Sakura-chan?" Suke muttered as they continued down the now straight path. The path was now nothing but cobblestone and continued up to a large red and black walled entrance. Sakura turned briefly to look at the dragon's assistant to murmur,

"Yes, it does." Sakura realized that Suke had picked up on the faint chakra signature that she had. She was letting him know that she felt it, too. "Is it windy a lot? Is the winds here strong enough to blow off the leaves?" She was trying to see if it was ok for her to engage the ninja.

"No, not during this season. But one would think that you would be a little grateful for the breeze on a warm day like this?(translation: Is the ninja with you?)" replied Suke. Sakura shook her head,

"No, under these trees... there is too much shade." she replied. Suke nodded and continued towards the entrance.

"Well, there is a sunny meadow on the other side of this entrance that is very warm." Suke said reassuringly. He smiled at her and Sakura blushed as she said,

"Okay, I can't wait to see it!" By now, Sakura, Suke, and Chihiro had reached the entrance that seemed to be guarded by another odd looking statue like the one she saw before. The two young women were about to walk through the entrance, but Suke moved ahead of them and held his arm out in front of them. He turned to them and reached into the folds of his tunic and pulled out a package. He opened the paper to reveal some red, round berries.

"Sakura, you and Mistress Chihiro must be hungry. Please, I would be most honored if you would share these with me." he said softly but his dark eyes held an authoritative stare. In other words, it was not a request, but an order. Sakura took a few of the berries as Chihiro took some for herself. Suke took the remaining berries and they all ate them together. Suke shoved the paper back into his pocket as Sakura shuddered. The berries were a little tart tasting but Sakura could help but shudder as a feeling of static electricity was running through her body momentarily. She looked questioningly at Suke.

"Those were some unique tasting berries... What are they?" asked Sakura, keeping with their code game. The ninja was still following them. But so far, they had not attacked. Sakura figured that they were sent to watch her and maybe confirm the location of the entrance. She was growing nervous, but she trusted that Sa- no, Suke had a plan.

"They are snowberries, some say they are food for the spirit." said Suke as he ushered the two females through the Spirit World entrance. Sakura walked through the entrance resisting the urge to reach in her bag for a kunai. The tunnel grew darker as they moved further away from what little sunshine was shining outside. Sakura swallowed nervously as the darkness engulfed her and the fact that she was leaving the world she knew as home for good hit her. She continued moving forward though, because if she stopped or turned around to look behind her, she wasn't sure she would be able to continue the mission. She focused on the chakra of Suke in front of her guiding her out of the darkness. Finally, she and Chihiro emerged in a dimly lit lobby area of what looked like an abandoned station. The station was sparsely decorated. There were a few cobweb covered benches and a dried out fountain the empty station. The style of the architecture suggested that the station had been grand in its heyday.

The trio continued on through the station and out of the back. Sakura stop short as her eyes took in the sight of the beautiful viridian meadow before her. There were acres and acres of willowy blades of grass. It stretched all the way to sapphire sky's horizon. There were various sized stones littering the meadow at random intervals. There were also run down shacks but somehow they did not seem out of place. They only added to the beauty and serenity of the meadow. Sakura briefly had flashbacks as she stared at the meadow.

She remembered Team Seven learning to climb trees, hanging out at the training ground, and going on missions together. She even thought back to the times before the academy when she and Ino used to sit and watch the clouds roll by. She felt tears start to burn the corners of eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily as she fought back her tears. She took two breaths before she forced the sorrow and her tears away. They were useless at this point. She opened her eyes and kept moving forward. Chihiro had run ahead, leaving the two ninja behind. Sakura looked to her left at Suke who gave her a slight nod in acknowledgement. She smiled hesitantly and continued following the suddenly enthusiastic Chihiro Ogino towards a trench bedded with rocks and stones. They must be planning to put a river in sometime. Sakura and Suke continued walking while keeping a slight "eye" on the shinobi following them.

After crossing the stones, they traveled up another small hill before they reached a set of stone steps that led up to a paved square that was lined with shops and restaurants. For now they looked abandoned like the train station had been. But Sakura had felt the change in the atmosphere the moment that she had stepped over the threshold of the train station. The ground practically hummed with a pregnant energy. The air was crisper and cleaner than that of Konoha or Tochinoki. Everything looked wild and pristine, Sakura could see why Chihiro fell in love with this place. As she continued to look about, the chakra signature that she had been keeping an eye on increase.

"Sakura?" called Suke. Sakura turned to look at her former teammate. She knew her face must have looked grim.

"I think our "friend" is about to make an appearance." she whispered. Suke's eyes widened. He immediately looked ahead to the skipping Chihiro and then back at her. He looked torn between wanting to stay with her and protecting the human girl. "It's alright, go and protect Chihiro; Suke. I can hold my own." said Sakura as she tried to gage how many opponents she had as well as how much chakra they had. She wished she felt as confident as she sounded just then. The former shinobi looked at her and nodded.

"Ok... if you are sure, Sakura." he said hesitantly and Sakura nodded in response. He turned around and continued to follow the human Chihiro. She was relieved to find that she only had one opponent as opposed to the many she thought initially. But she tensed as she realized that the ninja had a huge chakra signature. Her analytical mind immediately went into overdrive trying discern who might have followed her across the divide. She had not felt or seen anyone as she was leaving Konoha... she thought that she had been careful enough to get out undetected. As she continued to focus on the chakra signal, it started to feel familiar. Then a familiar orange blur landed in front of the female. The blur cleared until it took the shape of her favorite blue eyed ninja.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Sakura in part surprise and part annoyance. "What are you doing here?! You could get me in trouble before I even have a chance to plead Konoha's case! How did you get here anyway?" Naruto rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that. But, I came with you. I was one of the kunai in your pack. When you left the kunai by that ugly statue, you activated the jutsu." he explained. Sakura resisted the urge to slap herself. Of course, this was a shadow clone. Naruto must have put it with her stuff.

"But why would he risk exposing me?" she wondered aloud. While Naruto was still very much Naruto, he had wised up a great deal. So, Sakura could not fathom what the purpose of the clone was.

"I was to report back if you had been ambushed by enemy ninja or hurt. I was for a 'just in case' situation." the clone said. Sakura felt a warm feeling spread through her body as she realize that her friend had sent a clone with her to watch her back even if he could not be there. She felt the cold dread that had seized her heart melt away. She had people back home that were cheering for her and was well as depending her. She could not afford to be a shrinking blossom now. She grinned for the first time since she left the village gates. She hugged the clone, before sending it back to Naruto with the parting words,

"Tell Naruto I said thank you and that he better not become Hokage before Sasuke and I get back!" The clone grinned goofily and saluted before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Sakura stared at the place the clone had been for a moment longer, before turning around and heading in the same direction that Sasuke had gone. She looked around at all the delectable food. It smelled heavenly, but Sakura knew better than to touch any of it. She could recall with crystal clarity what happened to Chihiro's parents when they ate the spirit's food without permission. She definitely did not want people to change her name to Ino!

She sighed in relief when she turned the corner and saw her two traveling companions a little ways ahead of her. She increased her walking pace until she was almost even with the two of them. Suke heard her approaching and turned to give her a nod of acknowledgement. Chihiro realized that she had returned when she spoke, "Sorry about that, apparently I had a protection detail that I was not aware of." Suke raised an eyebrow in question.

"A protection detail?" parroted Chihiro as they continued through the square. Sakura snorted in mild amusement.

"Yeah, in the form of my best friend Naruto Uzumaki. He had a shadow clone hiding in my kunai. I deactivated the transformation jutsu when I used the kunai to mark the statue." she explained.

"Oh! But what is a shadow clone?" asked Chihiro. Sakura mulled over how to explain chakra to the girl for a moment.

"Shadow clones are ethereal beings that we create using our chakra. They feel solid and can take a few attacks before disintegrating." she said. Chihiro nodded, seeming to accept the explanation. Sakura was not sure if the girl would have understood it. She just finally put it down to Chihiro's knowledge of spirits and the spirit world. As Sakura turned to ask Chihiro for some more information about the spirit world, they rounded another corner and Sakura's jaw dropped. In front of them stood a massive, majestic bathhouse.

The bathhouse was about five stories high and painted red, black, and white. The building was done up in an old Feudal Japan style, it looked even more dated than the oldest buildings in Konoha. But, it was beautiful in a regal way. Directly in front of the trio there was a large bridge that spanned a large shallow body of water with a set of train tracks running through it. As they crossed the bridge, Chihiro turned to Sakura and continued to ask about her mission.

"So, are you just here for _you know... _or something else?" Sakura laughed at Chihiro's attempt at subterfuge.

"Both," she answered, "The target is an important objective, but not my primary objective. I was sent to find him and you. Then I was also sent as an ambassador for Konoha. We were hoping that the spirits would not be willing to get involved with Shinobi affairs or harm Konoha."

"Hmm... your best bet will be to run it by Haku and hope for the best... as spirits, like humans, are mostly self-serving. They will make decisions based on what is going to be most beneficial to them. So, some may feel that human affairs will be beneath them. Others, like Yubaba, will do their best to manipulate the situation to their advantage." admitted Chihiro. Sakura nodded. She then turned to Suke to ask a question of her own.

"What was with the berries?" Suke looked at her incredulously.

"Did Mistress Chihiro not explain the need for spirit food?" he asked. Sakura slapped herself in the head and groaned.

"So, those snowberries were spirit food?" she guessed. Suke nodded. The three companions reached the end of the bridge and walked into the massive building. Sakura's eyes took a moment to adjust in response to the change in light intensity. The foyer was partially deserted. There were a few frog spirits, or what Sakura thought were frog spirits, milling about. Suke whispered that it was not quite time for the evening's shift to start so the workers were either resting till then or working on preparations. She felt her skin crawl as the frogs' large, liquid eyes bore into her with barely disguised disgust.

"Don't stare." hissed Chihiro through her teeth. The human then turned to the foreman and bowed. The frog snorted but murmured,

"Nice to see that the disgusting world of yours did not make you forget your manners human!" Chihiro did not respond, she just continued following Suke into the hallway. Sakura repeated Chihiro bow gracefully and followed after the human girl. Before Sakura knew it, they were in front of the famed Haku's office door. Sakura heard voices talking on the other side of it. One was deep and cultured while the other one was feminine, but fragile. She was startled from her mental ravine when Suke raised his hand and knocked on the door. Sakura took a deep breath and let it out as the deeper of the two voices called out,

"Come in!" Well, it was now or never for the kunoichi as Suke opened the door.

**Ok! I am really sorry about the wait. Life consumes most of my time and I have other stories vying for my attention and creative juices. I know Sasuke is OOC but it is necessary for the plot, so forgive me. But until next time! Also, if you haven't done so... please watch the movie Spirited Away and read Velf's trilogy based on the Spirited Away movie. Velf can be found on . It will improve your understanding of the characters mentioned in this fic, such as Chihiro and Haku.**


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